Freesytle Crusing and Reservations

[Traci1960]

:confused: I haven't cruised NCL for a number of years (last 4 were on Carnival) and have seen comments concerning reservations needed for MDR, Specialty Restaurants and shows. Is this truly the case? How is that freestyle?

I am booked on the 15 day Panama Canal cruise on Bliss in May 2018, and I have a SDP for 4 dinners. Normally, I would look at the MDR menu each day, decide if there was anything that jumped out at me, and if not, then head to a specialty restaurant....I would hate to make reservations a month in advance, then see my favorite complimentary meals being on the menu on those days (prime rib, Beef Wellington, Risotto)

 

There are just 2 of us, and we usually eat early (at opening) Do you think reservations are needed?

[cb at sea]

You don't HAVE to make reservations, but if there is a time or venue you KNOW you want, then it's less "wait" time. If you are eating early, you should have limited waits...most folks descend on the restaurants around 6:45 onward!

[boopsahoy]

I think reservations are mainly needed for the big ships. Ive never needed an mdr reservation on the gem EVER, and most specialty restaurants weren't difficult to get into except Teppanyaki!

[Manbo]

Usually, the MDR menu will be posted earlier in the day, so you can check it out. You won't have a problem.

if you download the app, you can make your reservations as soon as you decide.

[Zeno]

Never had to reserve for the Main Dining rooms. I reserved once for a specialty because we really wanted a specific day and time. I have also just "turned up" at a specialty and been seated immediately but of course if you don't want to wait at all or must have a specific restaurant that night - it's a good idea to reserve. Eating early or late is probably the best way to be seated quickly (no reservation).. If you must eat at "prime time" (around 7PM) it's likely that you may have to wait a bit to be seated in the MDR. I certainly never felt that I needed to reserve a month in advance.

[BirdTravels]

:confused: I haven't cruised NCL for a number of years (last 4 were on Carnival) and have seen comments concerning reservations needed for MDR, Specialty Restaurants and shows. Is this truly the case? How is that freestyle? I am booked on the 15 day Panama Canal cruise on Bliss in May 2018, and I have a SDP for 4 dinners. Normally, I would look at the MDR menu each day, decide if there was anything that jumped out at me, and if not, then head to a specialty restaurant....I would hate to make reservations a month in advance, then see my favorite complimentary meals being on the menu on those days (prime rib, Beef Wellington, Risotto) There are just 2 of us, and we usually eat early (at opening) Do you think reservations are needed?

 

Advance reservations for Specialty Restaurants are Highly Recommended if you want prime time dining (early). Walk ins are allowed later in the evening (after 9 pm). Cagney's and Teppanyaki are the most popular and will sell out. Reservations open 90 days prior to cruise date (100 days for Havens guests). Reservations for the MDR are not required, but people with reservations will be seated first. You are on a ship with 4000+ other people all interested in getting dinner.

 

Advance reservations for shows are Highly Recommended. Show reservations also open 90 days before your cruise. Each of the main shows in the theater will do a total of 4 shows on a 7-night cruise (2 nights, early and late shows) on most cruises (the schedule on the crossing will be more spread out). On a 7-night cruise, you have a 800 seat theater * 4 shows = 3200 seats. 4000 passengers. 800 will not see the show. You can go standby to any show. If the show is sold out, standby guests will be allowed to take open seats 10 minutes before show time (i.e., the seats no one else wanted).

[ClevelandCruisin]

Being on the new Bliss.... I'd make advance reservations!!!

 

Why take the chance at hoping to get in at a certain time. We make advance reservations!

 

Comedy shows will need to be booked once on the ship ASAP. They fill fast.

[sanger727]

I did not try to do a walk in at any of the specialties. But can tell you that after the 3rd day of a 10 day cruise, you couldn't get a reservation at any restaurant for any of the remaining nights before 9. Agree, I prefer a no reservation system but I also didn't want to get stuck eating that late.

 

 

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[Maraprince]

I did not try to do a walk in at any of the specialties. But can tell you that after the 3rd day of a 10 day cruise, you couldn't get a reservation at any restaurant for any of the remaining nights before 9. Agree, I prefer a no reservation system but I also didn't want to get stuck eating that late.

 

 

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Having sailed on NCL's smaller ships, Free Style without having to make any reservations ever, worked very well. Now that the ships carry 3000-4000 passengers and the dining venues haven't grown to accommodate more passengers, you really do need to make a reservation to eat at a reasonable hour or wait unitl after 9 PM. So, the original term of "Free Style" and having to make reservations seems to contradict each other.

 

MARAPRINCE

[BostonGal35]

we reserve all specialties ahead, regardless of ship size.

 

we then do a placeholder at 7 or 730 in the MDR for the other nights. this way we are always guaranteed to eat somewhere at a specific time other than the buffet.

 

you could do a placeholder in the MDR for all nights, then take your chances on board with the specialties. if you like to eat at 5pm you may be ok. anything from 630 to 830 will be booked on day 90, and then will fill up fast on embark day.

[mdsgu]

"Freestyle" doesn't mean you WILL get to eat whenever you turn up; it simply means you can choose what time you would like to eat and you will be seated when it's your turn. Reservations drastically cut or even eliminate your wait time.

 

I would probably make a placeholder reservation in the MDR at your preferred dinner time for every night (when the reservations open up on day 90). For the specialty restaurants, unless you eat very early, you will need reservations either before your cruise or ASAP on embarkation day.

[KeithJenner]

How is that freestyle?

 

It depends on your view of what "freestyle" is.

 

To me, it has always been about you having the choice of where you eat, when and with whom. It is also your choice as to whether you dress up or not, rather than being told which nights to dress up.

 

With the newer ships, it is also about deciding on your entertainment, from a selection of venues, rather than the traditional nightly show with an early or late showing.

 

For me, it has never been about being able to decide at the last minute what you want to do. You still can do that (I have never booked a MDR sitting, and many shows don't require reservations), but these days you run the risk of not being able to get in if you don't have a reservation.

 

For me, each new ship moves even further towards my understanding of what freestyle means.

 

For others, they see an important part of freestyle as the ability to make last minute decisions. In that case then that is likely to be a problem. Even on smaller ships I have seen certain restaurants fully booked days in advance (and that has been the case for a few years now). It can change from cruise to cruise, so if you go without reservations you may be lucky, or you may not. There is no way of telling.

 

Which interpretation of freestyle is correct? I don't know, but in all the time that I have been cruising on NCL I don't recall seeing anything advertising the ability to decide at the last minute (and nobody has been able to point me towards anything).

 

However, it is irrelevant. The fact is that as ships offer more options (what I consider to be the essence of freestyle) it is inevitable that venue sizes will be smaller and therefore there is more likelihood of them filling up and reservations being required (which goes against what others consider to be the essence of freestyle).

 

I can't see how that is avoidable. That means that, regardless of what was originally meant by freestyle, what it now means is that you have the choice, but for some things like the speciality restaurants and some entertainment you need a reservation to guarantee you will get it. It's still your choice, but you have to plan a bit.

 

Having said all that, I sometimes book all my meals, sometimes just a few and sometimes none. I have never actually been unable to do everything I want, and on many evenings we make our decision about dining quite late. Most evenings we have nothing booked at all.

[spidybabe]

We would definitely make reservations for specialty dining and shows. Things can be changed once onboard, but restaurants do fill up fast. In January on the Epic, the last two nights LeBistro wasn't available. Shows do sell out, and then there is a standby line.

Safe sailing

[Traci1960]

Ok - sounds like I will be making my reservations - at least for the specialty restaurants for my dining package. What is meant by the place holder at mdr? Is that a regular reservation? What happens if we change our mind that day (maybe got back too late from Excursion, or not feeling well, or just not happy with the menu that day? I understand you will lose the Meal from your dining package - but what if you have already used all your package, have extra reservations that you planned to pay for, then were a no show? Will they charge you?

[Eleteace]

For two of you you definitely don't have to book for the MDR.

 

Speciality restaurants probably yes.

 

Don't forget you can eat at o'sheehans/blue lagoon and the buffet too. :-)

 

 

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[sanger727]

We didn't do any reservations at the MDR and never had to wait more than a few minutes. Really don't think there's any need unless you have a large group. And don't forget there are 2 MDRs plus o'sheehans, and possibly one more free dinner location. So if you arrive and there is a long wait you have plenty of other walk in options.

 

 

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[BostonGal35]

the logic with making a placeholder in the MDR (which is free) is that you always have a guaranteed place to eat at a guaranteed time. for us, we like that. many times we have canceled it if we ended up doing something else, or we have shown up early, etc. its much, much easier to cancel a reservation than it is to make a new one. for example, on the smaller ships, we often like the complimentary asian restaurant. but its tiny and fills up fast at prime time. so we will have our MDR rezzie booked, and try to go to the asian restaurant when we want to eat. if its a crazy long wait, then we skip it, knowing we have a table waiting for us in the MDR.

[KeithJenner]

I honestly would only bother with MDR reservations for two people if it would be a problem to you to be told that there would be a short wait for a table.

 

We tend to eat fairly early, and the only wait we have ever experienced is whilst queueing to speak to the greeter (which I believe that you need to do even if you have reservations). We have always been seated immediately, so would never have actually benefitted from having a reservation.

 

If you arrive at busy times then they may ask you to wait for a table. There are occasional reports of longer waits, but from reading these boards, it would seem that 10-15 minutes is typical. This is before considering that you could just try one of the other venues anyway.